McKenzie adds to growing All Blacks injury toll
WELLINGTON: The All Blacks go into their first pre-World Cup camp on Monday hampered by a rising injury toll and expecting more casualties before they begin their title defence in Japan in September.
Damian McKenzie is the latest to be sidelined after limping off with knee damage during Saturday’s bruising Super Rugby derby match between the Waikato Chiefs and Auckland Blues.
The utility back joins at least nine other All Blacks on an injury list headed by Sonny Bill Williams and Owen Franks, who were both members of the successful New Zealand sides that won the last two World Cups in 2011 and 2015.
The Chiefs were reluctant to speculate on the extent of McKenzie’s injury but said in a brief statement that he would be having an MRI scan and will be assessed further in the coming days.
His fellow All Blacks Brodie Retallick and Nathan Harris also took severe knocks in the Chiefs’ 33-29 victory but their injuries were said to be not serious.
World Cup years add an extra urgency to the high-stakes New Zealand derbies, which are seen as unofficial All Blacks trials and the ferocity of play leads to injuries.
“We know there will be (more) injuries in the next two or three months so our whole planning now is based on what happens when this happens,” All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster told Radio Sport.
“We dont like it but we’ve just got to make sure we control what we can control and have the best possible medical programme that gives them a fighting chance to come back strong.”
Most of the currently injured All Blacks are among the 41 players named to attend the daylong camp which will “provide an opportunity for All Blacks management and our leading players to start building towards what is a huge year ahead”, said New Zealand Rugby’s high performance chief Mike Anthony.